Archaeologists Discover a 1300-Yr-Old Sandstone Rook Piece, Say It May Be the 'Oldest' Chess Piece Ever Found

A 1,300-year-old sandstone rook, the oldest chess piece ever found, was announced by archaeologist, John Oleson, at the meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research, stated Science News. The palm-sized artifact, which is shaped in a characteristic rectangular body topped with squat, horn-like projections, was unearthed in 1991 at the Humayma settlement in southern Jordan. While its appearance differs markedly from modern chess rooks shaped like castle towers, the design aligns perfectly with early Islamic chess pieces where rooks represented horse-drawn chariots. "This shape is standard for early Islamic pieces right through the 13th [or 14th] century," Oleson explained to Haaretz.

The importance of the piece is not only that it dates from between 680 and 749 A.D., but also what it tells us about how quickly chess spread throughout the Islamic world. "There are references to chess-playing in Islamic texts as early as A.D. 643, and the game was popular throughout the Islamic world," Oleson said in his presentation, stated Live Science. The game's journey from its Indian origins to the Middle East followed ancient trade routes, making Humayma's location along the busy Via Nova Traiana particularly significant.

The rook's humble material offers unique insights into early chess culture. Unlike the elaborate chess pieces owned by nobility, this rook was carved from local sandstone, suggesting it belonged to someone of modest means. "In the literature, naturally they talk about the elites playing with chess pieces made of ivory, ebony, gold, or rock crystal," Oleson observed. "The world of low-class players doesn't appear in that kind of literature so it's good to have an archaeological record," stated Smithsonian Magazine.

The artifact's discovery location adds another fascinating layer to its historical significance. Humayma served as the hometown of the powerful Abbasid family, who would later overthrow the Umayyad caliphate and rule much of the Islamic world until 1258 AD, as per Smithsonian Magazine. The settlement's position as a crucial trading hub between Petra and the Red Sea port of Aqaba made it an ideal location for cultural exchange, including the spread of new games like chess.

The name "rook" itself tells a story of cultural evolution, derived from "rukh," the Persian word for chariot. When the game reached Europe centuries later, players reinterpreted the two-pronged design as castle battlements, leading to the tower-like appearance of modern rooks. This transformation reflects chess's remarkable journey across cultures and continents. While this sandstone rook might be the oldest chess piece discovered to date, Oleson acknowledges that older pieces likely await discovery. After all, chess originated in India at least a century before this piece was carved, leaving plenty of room for future archaeological discoveries to reshape our understanding of the game's early history, as per Science News.